"It has been customary for the president of the church to leave a message for us to ponder at the close of each conference," remarked President Hinckley, then first counselor to President Benson. "We regret that President Benson has been unable to speak to us, to attend any of the sessions. However, he has seen and heard all of the sessions and would have me convey his love and a prophet's blessing.

"President Benson, we know that you can see us. All of us participating in this conference, many, many thousands in the aggregate, express our love for you and invoke the blessings of the Lord upon you. We sustain you as our prophet. We embrace you as our leader. We thank you for the mighty work you have done in leading this people in truth and righteousness. May God bless you, our beloved friend, our prophet and our president."

In the April 1994 conference, less than two months before President Benson's death, President Hinckley spoke of the order of authority in church government.

"Members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve each have all the priesthood keys available to men on Earth, but the president of the church holds the authority to exercise all of the keys at any given time," President Hinckley said.

"He may delegate, and in the present instance, has delegated to his counselors and to those of the Twelve the exercise of various of those keys," he said.

President Hinckley acknowledged that President Benson was suffering from the effects of age and illness and was not able to fulfill important duties of his office. But he cited D&C 102: 10, 11, which provides that the counselors in the First Presidency may act in the absence of the president.

When President Benson called his two counselors Nov. 10, 1985, he "signed ... powers of agency giving each of his counselors the authority to direct the business of the church," President Hinckley said.

"Under these specific and plenary delegations of authority, the counselors in the First Presidency carry on with the regular work of the office. But any major questions of policy, procedures, programs or doctrine are considered deliberately and prayerfully by the First Presidency and Twelve together."